Jun 12, 20193 min read

How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight With Intermittent Fasting?

Updated: May 27, 2020

You've probably seen amazing Intermittent Fasting weight loss and wellness stories like Lane, Kitty or Xiomara and now you want to jump in and join them too! And I don't blame you! I personally have been using Intermittent Fasting for years to keep my body fat percentage low and anxiety in check. Intermittent Fasting is an incredible tool to tap into fat burning mechanisms while also sparing your muscles (or even increasing your muscle mass!).

...but how long does it actually TAKE to lose weight and see all of these amazing benefits with Intermittent Fasting?

Today, we're diving into the science of Intermittent Fasting and weight loss so you know exactly what to expect while starting your Intermittent Fasting journey.

how long does it take to lose weight with intermittent fasting

Old School Nutrition Has it Wrong

Traditional Nutrition philosophy will tell you that you can determine exactly how much weight you will lose with a simple calories in vs. calories out formula. The idea is that if you are in a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, then you will achieve one pound weight loss per week. At this rate, you will achieve 20 pounds of weight loss in 20 weeks. Mathematically, this simple equation makes sense. But here's the thing...

It's wrong.

The body will burn or store fat depending on a variety of factors including hormone balance, stress levels, sleep quality and how often you're eating. Reducing weight loss to calories in vs. calories out is a vast over simplification of a very complex system. Not convinced that calories aren't the end all when it comes to weight loss? Check out the video below.

Intermittent Fasting Doesn't Focus on Calories

And this is one of the many reasons people are finding success with Intermittent Fasting - it doesn't focus on calorie restriction/calorie counting. Instead, Intermittent Fasting (when done the RIGHT way) helps to improve insulin sensitivity, balance blood glucose levels, increase your fat burning hormones (such as growth hormone and testosterone) and improve your sleep quality. All of these factors will determine how quickly and whether or not you will burn fat. (P.S. notice that I said "burn fat" and not "lose weight". This is a very important distinction that you can learn more about HERE.)

So... When Will You Start Burning Fat?

Almost immediately. By balancing these various factors that contribute to weight loss through Intermittent Fasting and proper Nutrient Timing (all outlined in The Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle), your body will begin to shift into a state of fat burning rather than storage. In fact, after just one day of using Intermittent Fasting properly, your body can naturally increase testosterone and growth hormone the next day - two key hormones involved in switching your body over to a fat burning state. If you're looking for a full deep dive into how this works, head over HERE for my free Intermittent Fasting 101 Workshop.

How quickly you lose fat will also vary depending on how well you implement the strategies within The Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle as well as what weight you are initially starting at. For example, if you have 100 pounds to lose, you will begin losing weight faster than someone who has 10 pounds to lose. For some inspo, check out Lane's story of how long it took her to lose 20 pounds HERE.

As exciting as it is to see and feel the progress that you are making everyday (including de-bloating, increased energy and improved sleep), I don't recommend weighing yourself daily. Due to daily fluctuations in hormones and stress levels, this can result in small fluctuations in your weight as well. Weighing yourself daily will add stress to your life and won't show you the overall trend in your progress - which is ultimately more important than daily results. At most, choose one day per week to measure your progress. Ideally, once every two weeks with a body fat scanner (not scale) is best.